Renaults, Saab and M-B score tops in latest Euro NCAP
26 November 2002: Two Renaults, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and the new Saab 9-3 have this morning being named as achieving the maximum 5 stars in the latest round of the Euro NCAP crash tests. Both the Megane II and the Vel Satis have also been rated as ‘best in class’ in their respective segments.
The Vel Satis scored 33.12 points out of a possible 37, and the Megane II scored 33.1. The E-Class (right) and the Saab (below) both scored 33, but each scored just one star for pedestrian safety.
The first car to be awarded the 5-star rating, in 2001, was the Renault Laguna II. It was followed earlier this year by the C-Class Mercedes-Benz.
The Megane is the first car in its class to achieve the rating.
The full rating results of this round are (figure in brackets is pedestrian safety stars): Executive cars - Renault Vel Satis 5(1); Mercedes E-Class 5(1); Family cars - Saab 9-3 5(1); Nissan Primera 4(1); Subaru Legacy Outback 4(1); Chrysler PT Cruiser 3(1); Small family cars -Renault Mégane II 5(2); Toyota Corolla 4(2); Super-minis - Citroën C3 4(2); Seat Ibiza 4(2); Ford Fiesta 4(2); Large off-roaders - Mercedes M-Class 4(1); Hyundai Santa-Fe 4(1); Suzuki Grand Vitara 3(0); Small off-roaders - Nissan X-Trail 4(2); Land Rover Freelander 3(1); Large MPV - Peugeot 807 4(1); Small MPV - Mercedes Vaneo 4(2).
The organisers of the tests said today that while a number of manufacturers are doing work to improve pedestrian safety, it is a pity that rankings haven't gone up as much as might have been expected.
The Euro NCAP was established in 1997 and is backed by five European Governments, the European Commission and motoring and consumer organisations in every EU country. Its aim is to provide motoring consumers with a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe.
The United States Department of Transportation set up a new car testing programme in 1978. Australia followed some ten years later and Japan now has its own programme.
Research carried out by the Swedish National Road Administration and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and in the Monash University Accident Research Centre, Australia, has concluded that here is a strong and consistent overall correlation between Euro NCAP scoring and risk of serious and fatal injury.
The study, reported in 2000, said that high ranked vehicles, as a group, had a lower risk of serious and fatal injury across 90-110% of average impact severity and that overall, high ranked vehicles produce approximately 30% less fatal and serious injuries compared to low-ranked vehicles.